BALLAN Ballan is the last of the trifecta of towns on the Melbourne to Ballarat Hgy .Ballan, though is a town in its own right and is not a suburb of either Melbourne or Ballarat. Ballan is a small town that has quite a lot going for it; heritage factors are clearly important within this community. Ballan  was named by the first settler Robert von Steiglitz in 1838 after Ballan in Ireland The first European settlers crossed Bass Strait landing near Geelong and worked their way up the Moorabool River with their sheep flocks. Robert von Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after Ballan in Ireland Other early settler names included Covvie, Stead, Wallace and Egerton. Gold was found in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches travelling to the Ballarat goldfields. St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866. The Anglican is also 150 plus years but the Catholic Church is over a 100 years but for the traveller will be disappointed with what has occurred. The War Memorial is located near the Post Office. Ballan is a nice spot and as launch spot for either Ballarat or Melbourne and because of all these heritage factors a stopover works. Heritage diary